This is one idea that I absolutely love and seriously considered while creating the league. The only reason I did not was because there would not be much of a reason to not assign all WW claims to a multi-yr deal. If the player sucks then you cut with no penalty and if he is a stud you are locked in with a stud for cheap. So the only way this would work would be enforce an automatic minimum penalty ($2K? $3K?) for any player you assign a multi-year contract as a WW pickup. Additionally, I think that the multi-year deal would need to be declared BEFORE he plays his first game while on your roster. I think that this will give those owners who may be out of it even more incentive to keep paying attention because this will allow them to nail a FA pickup without having to guarantee that player a $10K raise the following year. This would almost certainly dry up the FA Auction talent pool but it will also reward owners who are active on the WW through the end of the regular season.

I think this could work and like I said I was very close to writing it in the original rules but was scared off. Please add your thoughts to this.

20% or $3k penalty on player drops in this category, whichever is larger. Might that work?

I agree with declaring BEFORE he plays..

Now in free agency, how would priority be given? Total money? or highest yearly salary? Like if I offer 6K/yr for 2 years, and someone comes in at 5K/3yrs? Who wins?

I say no front/backloading these contracts. Already we're having (legitimate) talks of cap penalties on standard front or back-loaded deals, and I wouldn't want to further complicate things. Until we clear up the cap penalties on such deals, anyways.

My thought for that is simply player goes to player willing to give highest ANNUAL salary. At this point it is not possible to incorporate years and salary into a bid for auto process. So it would be too much extra work to worry about. Like you said let's keep it simple. Win the player first then post the years you want him for.

I give you guys props for being creative; certainly it's not a bad idea. I just feel that we already have a terrible free agent class (minimal star power at wr/rb/te once tags are done) and considering that I want a league where people have to be smart not to give out too many years even to top players then I don't want a complete lack of talent available to the few guys who were actually conservative. We've got multiple teams with over 100k in cap room this year and even though they'll bid each other up there's not a lot out there. I don't want to make it too easy lock up guys that everybody passed on with all 26to 31 roster spots. 3k if you cut the waiver wire pickup? What's the difference? For example, I traded Andre Roberts to Cutting, if I'm not mistaken, for 2k and he was blowing up at the time. He could've extended him for 12k. If it didn't work out because, I don't know, say my boy Michael Floyd passes him on the depth chart, then he cuts him for 2.4k. There was no risk. If you're not going to hand out 2 and 3 year deals to everyone you win in the auction, to maintain flexibility etc, then why are we going to make it so easy for everyone to wrap up all the talent?

Disagree w. the fact it is a terrible draft class but that is subjective in nature.

Here is the thing, I do not thing it makes it easy for them to do. Reason being is 1. The post of multi-yr MUST be handed out prior to them playing a single game. So you do not get the benefit of seeing them play 1st. Unlike your sign and trade A.Roberts point, Roberts was ALREADY good enough that he was on a roster, this means he was pretty good for at least a little while. Furthermore, the cap hit is probably not the detractor with A. Roberts, it is the contact raise of $10K to make it $12K. Even if you are right about A. Roberts what is he going to go for in a FA Auction $16-$17 so it is not like you make out all that much by giving the raise.

Here are some facts: Last yr there was a total of 119 FA or BB pickups for either the QB, RB, WR or TE (NO IDP's NO ST). So that is roughly 10 per team during the course of the year. If you give every single one of these guys a multi-yr that you end up cutting you are talking about $30K in cap hits. So teams will need to be prudent with these handouts. Can't just go out giving them left and right.

Maybe we cap it to you are allowed 3 per yr to give out. But I think the point for me at least is this. If I am 2-6 I can make trades to maybe get some picks or a young cheap player with a 1 yr deal and give him a raise (TAKE ON RISK). But outside of that you are SOL.

But if you have the ability to mine the WW for guys you think, hey this guy is a backup this yr but I will sign so that next yr I think he has a more prominent role, it keeps those guys much more involved.

You won't be seeing power-houses like Lake dropping players who have value to pickup a Chris Ivory in hopes of next season he is a starter. But you will see BTNH's or BNK or teams that are out of it say hey Fuck Jalen Parmele and his 1 yr deal, I'm picking up Ivory for next yr.

And this in my mind does not water down the star power of the draft. Would Chris Ivory REALLY be a player in this yrs draft? I mean he will be on people's "Sleeper" lists for sure but what is that going to be $20-$24? Still have guys like Fitz, SJax, Manmning, Jamal Charles, AP. Still plenty of those guys to go around.

So basically this move REWARDS teams for thinking ahead not just waiting for "next yrs fantasy magazine" to come out.

But I do hear ya point Ryan, just think you have a SANDY Vagina and get scared. Lol.

I said free agent class. Glad to know you like the draft class though haha.

Fitz is still my property, so keep his name outcha mouf. AP will get tagged in 2 seconds, como tu madre.

This rule would make a million 2x2 and 1x3 contracts. In my opinion, you have 26 roster spots to plan your long-terms gambles like you're discussing here, but we're afforded every opportunity to do that in the offseason. After that, if you think the guy has a real shot to matter next year then pony up the 10k, but in my twisted mind, you've missed your window to get him for 2 or 3 years for pennies. A salary in the teens is still dirt cheap. Our league is very forgiving already in being able to get out from 80% of a dumb deal (I've made plenty, and I'm the cheapest mofo of them all). This rule makes is WAY too easy to overspend on the probowlers that actually hit free agency and still fit in guys that emerge and will only become more important to their team. If people can hit on them in the offseason, or believe enough in them to give them a pay raise, then our rules already let them.

But I do think you make a valid point. But I also think Bear's idea is pretty solid personally and I do like it as added strategy. As in reward those owners who do think ahead. While we have 26 roster spots lets not forget we have 5 starting IDP's plus 2 ST and you need backup IDP's for injury reasons since they go down all the time. So not like our rosters are clogging up the players.

However we do also carry 5 TS spots. So there is that layer to consider as well.

Ryan, I know you are an NBA honk, what if we allow something like a "mid-level exception". So you are allowed 1 Multi Yr deal to hand out. Make the penalties stiff for a drop...$5K for a drop. Or put some sort of cap on it. The reason I like it is that in my mind gives those teams struggling even more motivation to stay on point and think "in terms of a dynasty". "OK so my team sucks this year but what can I do to get better".

So while I can def agree we would not want to turn it into a shit-show I still think it could have a valuable place within the framework of the league. I just think it rewards those who stay active. Ryan this move benefits players like yourself who stay on it hard-core.

I hear you, big time. And I love the thought on this, and the creative ideas in general, so I hate knowing that I sound like the guy that's resistant to all change. I like the core rules in place for this league, but I feel like there's already a lot of opportunity to go all in for a season with little consequences (next year be damned). I absolutely prefer a league where people have to think very hard about adding a guy in the auction for 10k above what we all feel he's worth. I absolutely prefer a league where people have to be smart with their draft picks and taxi squad management, and that their last couple roster spots should be important as far as having an overall strategy. I have a dream. Ya feel me? LOL

With that said, I'll brainstorm my own version of how I think a mid level exception situation could work, probably specifically for the guy whose season is spiraling down the porcelain (as to not welcome tanking or an easy loophole).

If I can sign a player acquired in free agent auction to multi-year deals, I don't see why I can't regular season.. Teams bid the same way, highest $ amount wins. Team can then decide how many years the deal goes for (As Creel said, must be announced before player actually plays a game or else it's a ONE year deal) The same penalties as any free agent contract would apply. I'm not seeing this as being overly difficult at all.

Something came up in my head and perhaps this should be addressed with the multi-yr contract issued.

I think that players who are under contract at the beginning of the year who get dropped, then picked up by the same team later on in the yr. These players should NOT be allowed a multi-yr contract.

For example, I have Michael Crabtree. If I wanted to extend him 2 yrs I would need to pay him $29 in 2014 and $29 in 2015. However, if I dropped him right after the auction I could hypotetically pick him back up at a much cheaper rate and give him a 3 yr deal.

So to eliminate this from happening I think if a player is under contract at the start of the year and you cut him, you can not pick him back up and give an extension to said player.